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1

Compare characteristics of cool jazz to bebop by listening to two songs representative of these styles, "Line for Lyons" by the Chet Baker Quartet with Gerry Mulligan and "Koko" by Charlie Parker and his Reboppers. First listen to the instrumentation of the two groups. While similar in size and instruments used, there are differences. What are they? How do these differences contribute to the overall sound and feel? Also consider the different style in which the instruments are being played (e.g., compare the different approaches to drumming on the two songs). Do you hear different approaches to improvisation in comparing the two performances? Finally, describe the two songs in your own words and in non-technical terms. Consider the overall mood of the music.
2

Some examples of cool jazz differ greatly from previous jazz styles in the instruments used. Compare the sound of the Birth of the Cool nonet on "Moondreams" to that of a more conventional big band (e.g., Dizzy Gillespie's bebop big band on "Manteca"). Which instruments on "Moondreams" are unconventional jazz instruments? How do the differences in instrumentation affect the group's sound? What kind of mood does each song convey? Imagine that you are going to use each of these selections in a movie soundtrack. To what type of scene would you set "Manteca"? How about "Moon Dreams"?





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